or Kobe Festival. It was started in 1971 as an effort to bring people together for an afternoon. This year, we saw lots of bands in their very strict uniforms, lots of samba groups (it’s apparently very popular) and also some traditional dance performances. Of course, there are no comparisons with the SF carnival we saw last year but it’s worth going just to enjoy the music and the dance.

We have worned our summer yukata for the first time this year and maybe the last… for the Obon Masturi (Festival of the Deads) at the Kobe Winery. Yes, Kobe makes wine too! After habing spent a couple hours trying to remember how to wear it we have finally taken the train dressed like that!I guess that’s part of the aventures for foreigners in Japan: to see people’s reaction, the little obachans (Japanese grand mothers) were polite enough to smile and the others were looking at us between curiosity and disdain!